The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors presented a 2005 Environmental
Excellence Award yesterday to Janet Rahman, an employee with the Fairfax
County Park Authority.

Rahman received the award in the county employee category because of her
extraordinary personal commitment, dedication and inspiration in the
promotion of waste reduction, reuse and recycling. Among numerous other
efforts, Rahman promotes the purchase of recycled office supplies, takes
office waste on her own time to recycling centers and supports the
Aluminum Cans for Burned Children program by having a can crusher
installed at the Park Authority offices. Her actions include initiatives
within the Fairfax County Park Authority, as well as broader efforts
through the Employee Recycling Committee. These actions have changed the
mind-set of many employees to further support waste reduction, reuse and
recycling goals.

Rahman is a 20-year employee with the authority and she works for the
chief financial officer as an administrative assistant.

The Environmental Excellence Awards are designed to recognize efforts
that promote the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ environmental
goals. These goals, which were adopted by the board to foster a
sustainable and vibrant living environment both now and in the future,
are:

Environmental protection, which seeks to preserve the county’s natural
resources and meet or exceed federal, state and local standards for
water quality, air quality and other environmental standards.

Open space conservation, which seeks to preserve and protect stream
valleys, woodlands and other ecologically valuable areas to protect
plant and animal life.

In addition to these goals, the county’s Comprehensive Plan, the Board
of Supervisors’ 20-year Environmental Vision Statement, the Fairfax
County Park Authority Policy Manual and other documents contain policy
statements to guide county agencies, decision makers and residents.

Award winners are selected based on their advancement or support of the
board and county’s environmental goals and policy statements, their
dedication of personal time and expertise beyond normal fiscal or civic
responsibilities, and their leadership as a role model for others.

The awards program is administered by the Fairfax County Environmental
Quality Advisory Council and supported by the county’s environmental
coordinator, the Department of Planning and Zoning and the Fairfax County
Environmental Coordinating Committee.